Many forms of insulating handwear constructions have been proposed either in the form of gloves or mittens utilizing various combinations of outer shells, liners and insulation material in an attempt to provide warmth to a wearer. Most constructions involve combinations of an outer shell, usually made of a leather or fabric material, which is combined with an inner pile-like lining or other insulation material in an attempt to provide warmth and comfort. Some constructions, as, for example, those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,640, have utilized insulating mesh material extending over the front, tip and back portions of the fingers and thumb. These constructions provide an insulating barrier to the outside for keeping the fingers and thumb warm. Alternatively, electrically conductive elements, connected to a power source, and can be included to extend over the backs of the fingers and thumbs and around the tip portions to provide positive heat to the finger and thumb tips. While these latter constructions have been effective to heat those sections of the hand which are most sensitive to cold, they do require use of battery means which have limited capacity.
It is therefore an object of our invention to provide for an insulated handwear construction that is applicable for use with either glove or mitten constructions and which will have thermal convection passages therein by which heat may be transferred from a source of heat in the hand, or externally of the hand, to those portions of the hand most sensitive to cold.
2. General Description of the Invention
Broadly, an insulated handwear construction according to our invention comprises an outer shell, an inner lining and an insulation material positioned between the outer shell and inner lining. The outer shell conventionally comprises leather or fabric material while the inner lining may conventionally comprise a pile-like material or other insulating materials with both the outer shell and inner lining extending over the complete hand. The intermediate insulation material according to the invention has thermal convection passages therein which extend from a center part of the handwear construction, over the one side of the fingers and thumb, around the tips and over a part of the opposite side thereof. In addition, the thermal convection passages of the insulation material are in thermal contact with a source of heat, as, for example, the heat naturally in the palm of the hand or eminating from an external heating means.
In one form of the invention where the source of heat comprises the palm of the hand of the wearer, the insulation material comprises a palm section and five strip sections joined to or formed integrally with the palm section. Four of the strips overlie the palm side of the four fingers and the fifth strip overlies the palm side of the thumb of a wearer. Heat is transferred from the heat source of the palm of the hand through the convection passages to and around the tips of the fingers and thumb of a wearer to warm the same. In this particular form of the invention the handwear construction is in the form of a glove.
The handwear construction may also take the form of a mitten in which the palm section of the insulation material is adapted to overlie the palm of a hand of the wearer and a flap of the insulation material is joined to or formed integrally with the palm section with the flap overlying the palm side of four fingers of a wearer and a thumb strip overlying the palm side of the thumb of a wearer. In this form, heat is transferred from the palm of a wearer to and around the tips of the fingers and thumb; and the palm serves as the heat source.
Instead of having the palm of the wearer constituting a heat source, a separate heat source in the form of a battery powered electrical resistance heater or a catalytic chemical heater may be included in a package. The package is constructed to fit into a pouch contained in the glove or mitten. It is positioned adjacent to and contacting a portion of the insulation material overlying either the back part or the front part of the hand of the wearer.
When the external heater construction is used with a glove, the insulation material comprises a back section and five separate strips, with four of the strips adapted to overlie the back side of four fingers of the wearer and the fifth adapted to overlie the back of a thumb. When the handwear construction utilizing such an electrical or chemical source of heat comprises a mitten, the insulation material comprises a back section and a flap adapted to overlie the back sides of four fingers of the wearer and a separate thumb strip adapted to overlie the back side of a thumb of a wearer.
Preferably the insulation material comprises a material having threads protruding from one side thereof so that the threads form convection passages from the lower part of the hand, to and around the finger and thumb tips. The protruding threads provide a compression resistant means to prevent collapse of thermal convection passages formed by the threads.
The insulation material may have a plastic film affixed thereto on the side thereof adjacent the shell structure of the glove or mitten to further define the convection passages. Also, the inner lining may have perforations therein near the source of heat, either at the palm portion or near the electrical or chemical heat source and adjacent the finger tips and thumb tip. These perforations will then provide air inlet passages for the thermal convection passages near the source of heat and air exit passages near the finger and thumb tips to improve convection flow of air from the source of heat to transfer heat to the finger and thumb tips.
The handwear construction may also include a waterproof lining positioned between the outer shell and the insulation material. This waterproof lining extends over the complete hand and provides a barrier between the moisture entering into the interior of the handwear construction from a source exterior of the outer shell. This particular lining, in addition, is breathable so that vaporized moisture contained within the handwear construction may move from the interior thereof outwardly to the exterior.
Further, the handwear construction utilizing the principle of having the insulation material form convection passages can be accomplished by employing essentially three separate parts, each of which covers the complete hand. More particularly, such a construction includes an outer shell, an inner liner and an insulation material fully separating the shell and liner. All three parts are in the form of a glove if the handwear construction is a glove or in the form of a mitten if the construction is a mitten. It is further preferable in this instance that the insulation material be made of components that have stretch characteristics in order to facilitate flex of the glove construction and comfort to the wearer.